The UBC School of Music is pleased to announce that Dr. Valerie Whitney will join the faculty as Assistant Professor of Horn, starting in the 2018-19 academic year.

"We are delighted to welcome Dr. Valerie Whitney as she joins our faculty. Valerie is an accomplished and versatile performer, and an adept and knowledgeable teacher, and our brass faculty are enthusiastic to support the new energies and initiatives she will bring to brass studies at UBC," said Dr. Richard Kurth, Director of the School of Music.

A graduate of Wheaton College and Northwestern University, Dr. Whitney regularly appears with some of the nation’s most esteemed performing organizations, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Lyric Opera, and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. She joined the South Bend Symphony as Third Horn in 2017, after serving the orchestra as Assistant Horn for five years. She also holds the fourth horn position with the Lake Forest Symphony in Lake Forest, Illinois, and is a member of the Millar Brass Ensemble and the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra Society.

WATCH: Dr. Valerie Whitney performs David Sampson's Sonata No. 40

Dr. Whitney will play a leading role in the brass division at the School of Music. Her duties will include undergraduate and graduate studio instruction, brass chamber music coaching and coordination, and brass curriculum leadership — all while working in partnership with our accomplished team of VSO principals and other top professionals in the city.

"Valerie will be a wonderful colleague for all full-time, adjunct, and sessional faculty members in the Winds Brass and Percussion Division, and I'm thrilled that she is joining us!" said division chair Dr. Robert Taylor.

“I am delighted to join the UBC family, and excited to work alongside the excellent faculty and students to further the exceptional learning environment in the School of Music. I look forward to joining the campus activities and the broader UBC community in the Fall!” Dr. Whitney said.

Audiences in Vancouver will have the opportunity to see Dr. Whitney perform live during the upcoming School of Music concert season. On Nov. 21st she and other members of the School of Music faculty will perform Dohnanyi’s Sextet in C major, Op. 37 for Piano, Clarinet, Horn and String Trio at Roy Barnett Recital Hall. Dr. Whitney will perform a solo concert on Jan. 23rd, 2018, also at Barnett Hall. Both concerts are part of the Wednesday Noon Hour concert series.

Welcome to UBC, Valerie!

ABOUT VALERIE WHITNEY

Valerie Whitney has been performing in and around the Chicagoland area for over a decade. She regularly appears with some of the nation’s most esteemed performing organizations, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Lyric Opera, and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

In 2010, she was invited to serve as guest principal horn with The Florida Orchestra for two weeks. From 2013-2016, she served as hornist of Fifth House Ensemble, during which time she performed and led masterclasses at nationwide universities as well as educational programs in various Chicago public schools and community centers. In 2017, Dr. Whitney was the first candidate to earn a DMA in Horn Performance from Northwestern University. She is a graduate of Wheaton College and Northwestern University.

Dr. Whitney joined the South Bend Symphony as Third Horn in 2017, after serving the orchestra as Assistant Horn for five years. She also holds the fourth horn position with the Lake Forest Symphony in Lake Forest, Illinois, and is a member of the Millar Brass Ensemble and the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra Society.